Circa 1847 a watercolour of a famine stricken family. UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,050 AT HAMMER
The artist of this poignant and stark reminder of the ravages of the Irish famine is unknown but the watercolour, in very good condition, comes up as lot 57 at Whyte’s Eclectic Collector sale on May 21. It is estimated at 800-1,200. The annual sale has attracted attention from collectors worldwide. Viewing for the timed auction of 838 lots gets underway at Whyte’s, Molesworth St., Dublin today and the catalogue is online. There is a range of historical documents and artefacts, medals, militaria, books, coins, banknotes, entertainment and sporting memorabilia.
(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for May 14, 2022)
One of only three known copies in private hands of Robert Emmet’s inspirational 1803 Proclamation comes up at Whyte’s Eclectic Collector sale on May 21 with an estimate of €50,000-€70,000. No other example has ever been offered for sale. Neither the National Museum nor the National Library possess a copy. Emmet’s request to read his proclamation in court was rejected but he did manage to include parts of it in his speech from the dock. It calls on the Irish to claim their independence and specifies that we war against no religious sect. The line “we will put no man to death in cold blood, the prisoners which first fall into our hands shall be treated with respect” predates the first Geneva Convention by 60 years. After the Rebellion he was found guilty of treason. Robert Emmet was hung, drawn and quartered at Thomas St. in Dublin, one of the last prisoners to be subjected to this barbaric form of execution.
FLOWER SELLERS, GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN – NORMAN TEELING (B.1944). UPDATE: THIS MADE 800 AT HAMMER
This Dublin scene by Norman Teeling comes up as lot 38 at Whyte’s Spring online auction which gets underway on the evening of March 28. It is estimated at 800-1,200. The auction of affordable art is designed to encourage first time buyers and seasoned bidders with 273 lots by artists who are well known.
Valley Wind, Jemisa by Tony O’Malley at Adams UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
A moonlit seascape by Roderic O’Conor will highlight the live and online sale of Important Irish Art by James Adam in Dublin ON March 30. Marine, au Clair de Lune is estimated at €150,000-€200,000 and is one of a number of Irish works with contrasting styles and approaches from the 19th century onwards to highlight this sale.Along with O’Conor there are leading lots by Jack B. Yeats, Tony O’Malley and James Arthur O’Connor. The Boat, a late Yeats from 1948, is estimated at €80,000-€120,000, Valley Wind, Jemisa, a 1995 Lanzarote painting by Tony O’Malley comes with an estimate of €30,000-€40,000 and James Arthur O’Connor’s Wooded Defile with Figures and Distant Cattle dates to 1827. This masterpiece of Irish Romanticism has an estimate of €25,000-€35,000. These very different works highlight the dynamism and diversity of an Irish art sector that in terms of the art market is going from strength to strength.
Following the highly acclaimed Yeats exhibition at the National Gallery there are three works on paper by the artist at Adams, a 1906 interior of a shebeen, an untitled street scene and work entitled A Rest by the Wayside. Dalkey Sound by Edwin Hayes shows a number of boats caught up in a storm in the straits and makes a strong case for the artist to be considered Ireland’s finest maritime painter. The Modern Irish School is represented with works from the 1940’s to the present. Being (No. 44) by Louis le Brocquy dates to 1957. Girl with Flower by Dan O’Neill also dates to the 1950’s. There is work by James Humbert Craig, Colin Middleton, Gerard Dillon, George Campbell, Patrick Swift and F E McWilliam.
Houses at Crookhaven, West Cork by Brett MacEntagart RHA at Whyte’s. UPDATE; This was unsold
In Dublin Irish art in all price ranges will feature at sales of affordable Irish art at Whyte’s on March 28 and at de Veres the following day. The timed spring online auction at Whytes offers work by many well known Irish artists who are represented by lots at price ranges which are not stratospheric. This is an auction designed for potential collectors tempted to dip their toes in the market. At Whyte’s major sale of Irish and International Art earlier this month Paul Henry’s Lobster Fishermen off Achill sold for a hammer price of €200,000.
Works by Colin Middleton, Dan O’Neill and Louis le Brocquy, each estimated at €10,000-€15,000, highlight the Irish art auction at de Veres now open for bidding. This timed online sale of 156 lots ends on March 29. There are estimates from €100 up.
MARKEY ROBINSON (1918-1999) – WATCHING THE FISHING BOATS UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,250 AT HAMMER
Watching the fishing boats by Markey Robinson comes up as lot 12 art Whyte’s Spring online art auction which runs to the evening of March 28. It is estimated at 800-1,000. The auction is online only but viewing is now underway at Whyte’s on Molesworth St. in Dublin. The sale of 273 lots offers a selection by well known artists at affordable prices and is designed to encourage first time buyers as well as more seasoned collectors.
FLOWER SELLERS, GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN – NORMAN TEELING (B.1944). UPDATE: THIS MADE 800 AT HAMMER
THIS painting of flower sellers in Grafton St. by Norman Teeling comes up as Lot 38 at Whyte’s Spring online art auction which runs until March 28. It is estimated at 800-1,200. The auction of 273 lots features many well known Irish artists, who are represented with affordable lots. The auction will be on view at Whyte’s at Molesworth St., Dublin from March 23 and the catalogue is online now.
Paul Henry’s Lobster Fishermen off Achill made a hammer price of 200,000 at Whyte’s sale of Irish and International Art in Dublin this evening. Among other leading hammer prices were Sir John Lavery’s The Earl of Lonsdale KG 1931, 25,000; Louis le Brocquy, Adam, 22,000; John Shinnors, The baby, 20,000; Guggi, Vessels, 20,000; Patrick Scott, The White and Orange Device, 16,000 and Colin Middleton, Evening Boa Island, Co. Fermanagh, 16,000.
Anne Yeats (1919-2001) – Image of Solitude at Whyte’s (€3,000-€5,000). UPDATE: THIS MADE 5,800 AT HAMMER
With big sales in the offing by Whyte’s, Morgan O’Driscoll, de Veres and Adams and Sotheby’s actively seeking works for a major sale in Paris in May the selling year for Irish art really notches up a gear this month. War in Ukraine notwithstanding there is at this stage little to suggest that 2022 will not equal or even surpass the stellar year that was 2021 when the market performed in a rock solid fashion.
The evening sale of Irish and International Art by Whyte’s at Freemason’s Hall, Molesworth St., Dublin on March 7 is on view this weekend. There is work by Paul Henry, Dan O’Neill, Colin Middleton, Sir John Lavery, Roderic O’Conor, Grace Henry, Walter Osborne, Norah McGuinness, Anne Yeats, John Shinnors, Patrick Hennessy, Patrick Scott, Louis le Brocquy, Pauline Bewick, Stephen McKenna and many others. The sale includes a selection of work from the collection of Lady Augusta Gregory with art by John and Jack Yeats, George Russell and Robert Gregory. Among them are portraits of Robert Gregory and J.M. Synge by John Butler Yeats. The most expensively estimated work is Lobster Fishermen off Achill by Paul Henry (€200,000-€300,000). Dan O’Neill’s Girl with Tambourine is estimated at €30,000-€50,000, as is another Paul Henry work, a west of Ireland landscape from 1929. Adam, one of three works from Louis le Brocquy’s Garden tapestries series (1999-2011) is estimated at €30,000-€40,000. A number of works on offer, like Grace Henry’s Fair Day, Connemara (€15,000-€20,000), Figure and Cottages, Carraroe by Charles Lamb (€2,000-€3,000) and Ireland’s Teardrop (The Fastnet Rock) Ciaran Clear’s atmospheric night oil complete with large sailing ship presumably headed out to the Atlantic (€3,000-€5,000), hark back to a vanishing Ireland of yesteryear. There is no shortage of contemporary art including an archival pigment print by the Cork street artist making big international waves Conor Harrington (born 1980) whose Study for the Blind Exit is estimated at €4,000-€6,000 at Whyte’s. On a completely different tack is Sir John Lavery’s 1931 oil sketch for the portrait of Hugh Lowther, the Earl of Lonsdale commissioned by the city of Doncaster. The second son, Hugh was not expected to inherit the title and his wild youth included running away from Eton to join the circus. Later in life Lonsdale promoted Doncaster race course and opened the airport, was first president of the National Sporting Club, inaugurated The Lonsdale Belt in 1909, was a senior steward at the Jockey Club and chaired the Automobile Association and Arsenal Football Club. The Lavery is estimated at €25,000-€40,000.
Albert Hartland (1840-1893) – Gougane Barra, Co. Cork at Morgan O’Driscoll (€400-€600). UPDATE: THIS MADE 460 AT HAMMER
There will be viewing in Skibbereen on Monday and Tuesday for O’Driscoll’s Important Irish Art auction which gets underway at 6.30 pm on March 8. Morgan O’Driscoll is the online sale specialist and this auction will attract a national and international following. Arthur Maderson, Evie Hone, Kenneth Webb, Markey Robinson, Bridget Flannery, Patrick Scott, Roderic O’Conor, Jack Yeats, Paul Henry, Maurice Wilks, Pauline Bewick, Sean Scully, Brian Maguire, Mr. Brainwash, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Christo, John Behan, Siobhan Bulfin and Helen Walsh are among the artists and sculptors whose work will feature in a wide ranging sale of 264 lots in total.
Paul Henry LOBSTER FISHERMEN OFF ACHILL, c.1916-17. UPDATE: THIS MADE 200,000 AT HAMMER
Paul Henry’s Lobster Fishermen off Achill will be a highlight at Whyte’s sale of Irish and International art in Dublin on March 7. It is estimated at 200,000-300,000. The catalogue is online now. Artists represented include Daniel O’Neill, Colin Middleton, Sir John Lavery, Roderic O’Conor, Grace Henry, Walter Osborne, Norah McGuinness, Anne Yeats, John Shinnors, Patrick Hennessy, Patrick Scott, Louis le Brocquy, Pauline Bewick, Stephen McKenna, Margaret Corcoran and many others. A selection of works from the collection of Lady Augusta Gregory is included with work by John and Jack Yeats, George Russell, and Robert Gregory.
Digging up Glass by David Hockney at Whyte’s. UPDATE: THIS MADE €950 AT HAMMER
An etching by David Hockey, a watercolour by Robert Gregory, son of Lady Gregory who was mourned by Yeats, a sculpture by Edward Delaney and Christmas cards by Patrick Scott all feature at Whyte’s affordable timed online Christmas art and collectibles sale of 278 lots. It runs until next Monday evening. Digging up Glass by Hockney, number 53 from an edition of 100, dates to 1969 and is from a suite of illustrations for Six Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm. It is estimated at €700-€1,000.
Meantime with everything from some Midleton Very Rare Whiskey to a 1960 Chateau D’Yquem from Sauternes (€900-€1,100) the selection at the James Adam timed online sale is enough to tickle any palate. The timed online sale runs to next Wednesday (December 15).
